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Author's Note; Task Two for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The prompt was 'write about a road trip'.
"Susie, it's time to go!" Millicent shouted up the stairs, a tired worn-out expression etched onto her face.
They were supposed to have been on the road ages ago but due to Susan's packing skills; or more accurately her lack of packing skills, they still hadn't left.
She yawned quietly before glancing at her watch once more. It was almost nine o'clock and Millicent had been up for nearly four hours now. She shook her head disapprovingly, they were only going away for a few days but by the way Susan was acting you would've thought they were going on a three-month holiday.
They had plans to head up to Spain for the weekend; they wanted to visit the cute country towns and glance at the gorgeous views and introduce Susan to her traditional pureblooded grandparents.
Millicent knew there was no way they would approve. Susan was simply too naïve and nice for her to be able to earn their respect. And even if she could, which both of them knew she couldn't, the fact that she was a girl was enough for them to sneer at the very sight of her. Because according to them girls aren't supposed to be with girls, even if that particular girl makes her happier than she's ever been in her whole life.
There was so much that could go wrong on this trip Millicent was starting to realise, even if they didn't include her mean-spirited grandparents in the equation. They could get lost or end up in a ditch or crash the car and end up dead. There was just so many things that could easily end up ruining this trip.
Doubts started to swirl around in her mind and the thought of them simply staying home and cancelling the whole trip was starting to seem a lot more appealing.
She looked up the staircase once more, expecting to find that Susan still wasn't ready. However, she was quickly proven wrong. Because standing at the top of the stairs was in fact, Susan.
She was wearing a pretty blue sundress that reached her knees and her long bleached blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail. Her luggage was in hand and as she waddled down the stairs, careful not to bang her suitcase against the walls, Millicent's heart filled with warmth.
Maybe going wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe her and Millicent could make this work.
"You ready to go now?" Millicent asked, picking up her bags that were situated at her feet.
"Yep, let's get this show on the road." Susan said, grinning widely.
Millicent smiled slightly at her girlfriend before opening the front door and locking it behind them.
The trip was about seventeen hours long and if they took turns driving and had a couple rest stops they should arrive there at a decent hour tomorrow morning.
Millicent opened the passenger side door and buckled in, watching as Susan did the same on her side. Susan had volunteered driving first the first shift and they had plans to changeover about halfway.
She closed her eyes and felt the wind rustle against her skin as she rolled down her window. It was calming and made the knots in her stomach start to relax and the negative thoughts running around her mind start to disappear.
Susan smoothly pulled the car into reverse before to switching it back to drive and turning onto the road.
Merlin, they had a long trip ahead of them.
She turned off the car and rested her head against the steering wheel. They were finally here. She turned to her left and gently shook Susan awake.
"Susie baby, we're here."
Susan jumped upright, her eyes half-open and her hair a mess. She looked from side to side before slumping back down into her chair and rubbing her eyes.
"What time is it?" she mumbled.
"Uh, a bit before eight o'clock. Do you wanna stay in the car for a bit and wake up, or are you ready to get out now?"
Susan curled onto her side and hugged Millicent's arm tight.
"Let's just stay in the car for a minute. Then we'll get out."
Susan lifted her head and let it rest on Millicent's shoulder. Millicent smiled before pressing a kiss on Susan's forehead. They stayed like that for a while; neither one wanting to break away first.
Millicent knew that when they walked inside that physical contact would have to be kept to a minimum. Her grandparents barely showed any affection themselves and they had been married for over twenty years.
Even though she didn't always agree her grandparents, she still respected them. They were the ones that raised her when her dad walked out and her mum was off Merlin knows where. They were the ones that were always there for her. They were her family. And she wasn't sure that she was ready for them not to be.
She pulled away from their embrace and squeezed Susan's hand tight. Everything would be okay. Maybe her grandparents wouldn't react as badly as she thought they would. Maybe they wouldn't mind.
And even though deep down she knew that they would react badly and that they would mind, the only way she was going to get through this trip was if she tricked herself into believing differently. She had to have hope. She had to trust them to do the right thing.
She unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. She knew that they wouldn't exactly approve of her mode of transport but she didn't think they'd care enough to have a hissy fit about it.
Her and Susan walked up the driveway side by side before Millicent went and knocked on the door. Susan reached forward to hold Susan's hand as they waited for someone to answer the door. The door opened, Millicent brushed Susan's hand away and ignored the hurt look that appeared on her girlfriend's face.
"Abuela, it's good to see you."
Her Abuela was a tall broad-shouldered woman with greying hair and dark features. She was born in Brazil to a traditional pureblood family but moved to Spain when she was only a young girl. Her husband, Jorge Ferreira, was born to an equally respectable family so it was understandable to why they had such high expectations of Millicent. Especially since their only daughter turned out to be a complete disappointment.
"Millicent, it's good to see you too. I see you brought a friend?" She said, her eyes fixated on Susan's presence.
"Actually Mrs Ferreira I'm Susan Bones, Millicent's gir-"
"Best friend." Millicent interrupted quickly before Susan said something that they couldn't take back. "She's my best friend. Um, should we come in and start to unpack?"
The striking woman stared at her granddaughter for a few moments before moving from the doorway and allowing them to enter.
"Of course, Millicent. I'll send up a house-elf to help you two get set up."
Millicent smiled nervously at her Abuela before bolting up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Susan was following her, her eyes full of hurt and confusion as she dawdled behind.
Millicent opened the door to her childhood bedroom and waited until Susan was inside before closing it quietly.
She breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be away from her abuelita's judgemental stare. She glanced at Susan and quickly saw that her usually calm girlfriend was furious.
"Best friends? Really! Is that all I am to you? A friend?" she whisper-yelled at Millicent, careful not to alert the unsuspecting grandparents that were downstairs.
"Susan, you know that you're more than that." Millicent glanced behind her, careful to make sure that no one was there before she continued. "It's just that right now, they can'tknow about us. But that's the whole point of this trip okay, for me to tell them and I promise I will. I just need a little more time."
"Millicent, we've been dating for nearly two years now. I think I've given you more than enough time." Susan said before walking out and heading downstairs to go and grab the bags.
Millicent swore under her breath before resting her head on her hand. Why did she have to screw everything up?
The atmosphere at the dinner table was awkward. No one was talking and the tension in the air that laid between Susan and Millicent was obvious. They still hadn't spoken since their mini argument upstairs and Millicent didn't expect that they would until she told her grandparents about their relationship. Which she really didn't want to do.
"So, Susan who did you say your family was again?"
Millicent turned to glare at her Abuelo, who was innocently eating his dinner and completely oblivious to the offensive question he had just asked.
"Abuelo! You can't just ask questions like that anymore. It's rude."
He merely shrugged his shoulders before taking another bite of his roast beef.
"It's fine." Susan said as she cut her roast potato in half. "Um, my family are the Bones."
"Ah," Abuela exclaimed, "the Bones. They're a respectable family to belong too, a little too sympathetic towards the muggles for my liking, but respectable all the same. You don't look like a Bones though, too oriental."
"Abuela!" Millicent admonished, as she covered her face with the palms of her hands. "You can't say things like that either."
"Well, why not?" she asked, "It's true."
"Cause it's racist!"
"Uh it's okay, I guess. Um, my mum is Japanese so that's probably why." Susan said, the tips of her ears turning pink.
"Thank you, Susan. See Millicent, she doesn't think it's racist."
Millicent removed her hands from her face so she could respond, "She's just being nice Abeula!."
"Jorge, tell Millicent that we did nothing wrong and that she is overreacting."
Her Abuelo looked up from his plate for a moment before saying, "Millicent we did nothing wrong and you are overreacting."
"Abuelo, you haven't even been paying attention! You probably don't even know what we've been talking about."
He shrugged before returning back to his dinner. Even when she was younger, he never really joined into the arguments that consumed the household. Especially not when there was food around.
"Me and Susan are going to head upstairs. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning."
She stood up from her chair and waited for Susan to do the same.
"Thanks for the dinner Mr and Mrs Ferreira. I really enjoyed it." Susan said quietly before following Millicent upstairs.
Millicent waited until they were in the room alone before she started speaking again.
"I'm sorry about them. They shouldn't have asked those things."
Susan shrugged, "It's okay I guess, I mean they don't really know any better."
"Yeah, well they should."
"Maybe."
Millicent took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do and even though apologising really sucked; it had to be done.
"I should know better too. I shouldn't have pretended that you weren't my girlfriend. Because you are Susan and you… you mean the world to me. And I promise that I'm gonna tell them and the only reason I haven't yet is because I'm scared. They're the only family I have left and I just- I don't want to lose them. I don't want to lose anyone ever again."
Susan pursed her lips and nodded slightly, "I know Millie but I'm only gonna wait so long. We're family now and I just don't want you to forget that. You will always have me."
Millicent leaned forward and kissed Susan softly on the lips. They stayed there for a while, finding comfort in one another and the lack of space between them.
They were okay.
It was their last day at Millicent's grandparents and Millicent's last chance to tell them about her relationship with Susan. Her stomach was in knots and her head was pounding from lack of sleep.
She had spent all night worrying and worrying about what they were going to say and what they were going to do. Never mind that she was an adult now and she could do and say whatever she damn liked; she was still nervous.
"Um Abuelo, Abuela. I have something to tell you."
Her grandparents stopped mid-conversation and turned to look at her.
"Yes Millicent?" Her Abuela asked. "What is it?"
"Um, I lied to you guys. When I said Susan was my best friend. She's not. She's actually my girlfriend." Millicent stopped talking for a second, glancing around the room to sense what their reaction was. "We've been uh dating for a while. Two years to be exact. And I guess I wanted to tell you that while I know that you won't approve I was hoping that your love for me would be enough for you to try and get to know Susan too. Because I love her, a lot."
She waited for them to respond. She didn't expect a lot, maybe a nod or an angry outburst. She waited and waited and waited. But nothing happened. It was like they hadn't heard her.
She turned her eyes towards the ground. What if they never spoke to her again? What if they hated her forever?
"Millicent, I think it might be best if you leave." Her Abuelo said, his eyes fixated on his wife who looked as if she had turned to stone.
She looked up, her eyes filled with tears as she glanced from her Abuelo to her Abuela.
"Um, okay. Yeah, I'll- I'll go get Susan and then we'll head off."
She turned around and ignored the pressure that started to build up in her chest. She knew how they'd react and she told them anyway. She had lost them for good. And it was all her fault.
She ran up the stairs, two steps at a time, before bursting into the room. She grabbed random items of clothing and chucked them into her bags hastily. Tears were rolling down her cheeks erratically and she could barely see what she was doing because of it.
"Millicent? What's wrong?" Susan asked, looking up from the book she was reading.
"We have to leave, so just make sure you're all packed."
"What happened? Millicent, just-just stop for a sec and tell me what happened? Did they say anything?"
Millicent turned to face the ground. She couldn't look Susan in the eye right now; not when her heart was breaking.
Susan sighed and made a move to hold her. This time Millicent didn't brush her away and instead accepted the embrace with every fibre of her being. She needed comfort right now. She needed to be reminded that she was loved.
For what seemed like hours no one moved. It was like time stopped completely and all Millicent could focus on was the beautiful woman holding her.
Susan pulled away gently and quickly planted a kiss on Millicent's forehead.
"Let's go Mills."
They grabbed their things and walked down the stairs towards the car. It was hard for Millicent to comprehend that this would be the last time she was ever going to be in this house.
This was the house where she felt the most love. Where she felt accepted and understood. She was beginning to realise though, that this place wasn't any of those things. It was a place of judgement and hate, and the only reason that she didn't realise that sooner was because before she was never the one being judged. But now she was, and it sucked.
But as she looked over towards Susan, who was currently starting the car and waiting for Millicent to get it; she knew everything was going to be okay. As long as she had Susan.